


First, Second, Third

by AlexZorlok



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Shigure is probably off to check on Akito I didn't know where to slide it into the fic, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24133096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexZorlok/pseuds/AlexZorlok
Summary: Kyo breathes ‘Tohru’, as if it's the most natural thing to do. ‘Tohru’ has been his favourite word for as long as he can remember.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Comments: 14
Kudos: 188





	First, Second, Third

The first day after the curse breaks goes by in a twirl of emotion. By the end of it, Kyo is positively overwhelmed by anything and everything, enough so that it might as well be written on his face, considering no one bothers so much as to tease him about how his hand never leaves Tohru’s for a second. Either that, or he’s just not the only one; everyone seems to be overwhelmed by the sudden freedom, maybe enough so that they just don’t care. Either that, or no one dares to tease Tohru when she’s still recovering from the hospital, and the circles underneath her eyes are still a little bit soft and puffy after the afternoon full of crying.

The last one is the most likely.

When they hugged a few hours earlier, when he felt her hands on his arms slightly shaking, her hair under his face warmed up by the sunlight, when the realization came, although not in that instant, that she’s not slipping away from his grasp, that her back is firm under his hands, and so small, so gentle, so, for once, _his…_ Kyo thinks he’s never in his life felt free before, not before that very moment.

He doesn’t want to think that it’s because of the curse breaking; that’s when it becomes overwhelming, making him feel all the anger of the past years, and his eyes sting with tears from both the abuse, and the confusion in being set free. Kyo doesn’t want to think about it that way. He’s never been one and the same with the other zodiacs, he has no desire to cry tears because of, or about Akito; he’s only ever had his eyes on Tohru, and so, if he is to be overwhelmed with all kinds of feelings tonight, the sole reason for it is that he can feel her fingers intertwining with his.

She’s right beside him, holding onto his left hand, the wrist of which has never been as empty, as exposed as it is now.

The warmth of her touch is spreading all across his body, so, instead of feeling cold and awkward, his whole forearm is burning up.

“I’ll take my leave.” Yuki says, eventually, getting up from the table. He flashes a soft smile towards Tohru, then side-eyes Kyo, but there’s no edge in his sight. They didn’t see him until the very evening, although it is clear that all of them had their businesses to attend do, people to see and tell; Yuki’s own eyes were all puffy, the brightest smile on his face, as he was talking to Tohru earlier, unable to contain his excitement about introducing her to someone.

Seeing Yuki so positively overwhelmed by freedom, Kyo can’t help but think, openly, for the first time ever, that maybe they have something in common.

“Ah!.. Yuki-kun, have a good night!”

“Goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After a minute, when Yuki’s steps aren’t echoing in the hall anymore, the kitchen falls into a complete silence.

Kyo gently unleashes his hand from Tohru’s grasp, only to bring a fist to the side of her head.

“You should go to sleep, too.”

Tohru blinks, slowly, then slightly shakes her head and looks up at Kyo with her eyes wide. Kyo resists an urge to chuckle; her face has been misted with sleep for awhile now, and he’s surprised she hasn’t yet dozed off on his shoulder by accident. Then another thought crosses his mind.

Even after everything they’ve gone through, even through all of Tohru’s clumsiness, and gentleness with touch, maybe she only hasn’t fallen asleep in fear of crossing a boundary.

The thought brings a frustrated frown onto his face, along with worry. He lets his fist brush along her hair, tucking a strand of it behind her ear.

“I-it’s fine!” Tohru reassures him. Her eyes are locked on his, and her head bows slightly along with the movements of Kyo’s hand in her hair, whether she realises it or not. “The doctor said that I’m free to go, and that everything should be fine! I would just like to stay here with Kyo-kun for a little longer.”

Kyo feels his cheeks growing slightly pink, and the stereotypical butterflies fluttering in his stomach, as he always does when Tohru so much as implies enjoying his company. The feeling is the same, be it the first time, second, or be it after he’s already kissed her in the sunlight and held her in his arms.

It makes him want to drown in the sensation.

“Stupid,” he starts. The word is full of fondness, only ever directed at her. He considers it, for a moment, then starts over, sliding his hand underneath her bangs. “Tohru. I love you, and I don’t want you getting a fever, alright?”

“Alright…”

“Good.” Kyo can’t hold back a smile. For a moment, he finds that he can barely resist the sudden urge to rest a kiss on top of her head, either, and so, he doesn’t, allowing himself a quick touch of lips to her forehead, as his hand slides away from her hair. “I’ll take care of the dishes.”

He stands up from the table and takes a few bowls with him to get washed. When he turns back, he finds Tohru still sitting at her place, watching him. He walks back to her, and, as he’s staring down at her with wonder, she hands him a cloth from the nearby stand.

Kyo sighs instead of a thank you, but there’s a bubbly laugh showing through it.

“Kyo-kun.”

“Hm?”

“What you said earlier… That it wasn’t the first?”

Ah. _That._

Kyo stops. His fingers relax their grasp on the cloth, and he lets it drop in the middle of the table. He feels another fluttering wave inside of him, but this time it stops in his throat, as this anxious worry of a little boy who got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Kyo doesn’t regret it, no, not when things have been settled, and he loves Tohru, and Tohru loves him back. She’s looking at him, no accusation in her eyes, just curiosity, uncertainty, and love that Kyo has been seeing in her for so long. What he still isn’t used to, though, is how to act when she’s looking at him like this.

“Does it bother you? Because I swear I would never have—”

“N-no, it’s not that!” Tohru lifts her hands in front of her in a defensive manner. When Kyo slides down to sit with her on the floor and takes her hands in his, she continues. “But I was wondering if it bothers Kyo-kun… That I might not remember it.”

Kyo lifts his eyebrows, at that, then shakes his head.

“Of course not. It doesn’t matter. Not for us, anyway. And I’ve loved you way, way before that kiss.”

“Oh.”

Tohru leans forward and bumps her forehead against his shoulder, at last. Kyo huffs and presses another kiss to the top of her head.

“Kyo-kun?”

“I hear you, Tohru.”

He leans his head back to let their eyes meet. Tohru pulls a little away, sitting up straight.

“May I kiss you? As… another try.”

“S-sure.”

Kyo knows that it will come sooner than he thinks, the moment after which they won’t have to ask anymore, when he will feel as free and steady kissing her as he does holding her hand. He _hopes_ that it will come so soon, because he already knows that he likes kissing Tohru way more than he does getting all worked up about that. And yet, despite all that, it feels positively giddy to have Tohru asking for that, no matter whether this counts as their first, second, or third kiss.

Tohru takes a deep breath, her face serious, and it’s probably all the feelings boiling inside of him, but it takes everything for Kyo not to burst out laughing at the sight. Tohru moves a little, until she’s almost sitting in Kyo’s lap, and there’s a few seconds of her just looking into his eyes, and then back down again, repetitively. Finally, Kyo lets himself chuckle, and he rests a hand against her check. Tohru leans against the touch.

“You don’t have to try so hard, you know.”

She gives him a little smile. Her face is burning up, and there’s a part of Kyo’s worrywart brain that prays this isn’t a fever, because he can swear she was fine a moment ago.

Tohru lifts her own hand into his hair, brushing a few strands on the back of his head, as if he was still a cat asking to be pet, given an opportunity. Kyo supposes he’ll never completely live that down.

It’s when he closes his eyes in delight under her touch that Tohru leans forward to press her lips against his.

He kisses her back that very instant, and it’s funny how natural it feels, how used he is already to the feeling of kissing her, so much that he doesn’t even need to give it a second thought, so much that she can’t catch him off guard like this because he finally knows how to hold her close to him.

She breathes _‘Kyo’_ against his lips, dropping the honorifics, leaning back just slightly, enough to brush her nose against his, with both of their eyes still closed. Kyo breathes _‘Tohru’_ back at her, as the most natural thing to do. _‘Tohru’_ has been his favourite word for as long as he can remember.

When Tohru breaks their kiss, sending hushed breath all over Kyo’s face, she presses another quick one to his nose, then another one to his forehead.

“You’re so silly.” Kyo huffs, the widest grin on his face than he’s probably ever had. He turns his head to press a kiss of his own onto Tohru’s cheek, and, despite how much she tries to dodge him, laughing, he succeeds anyway.

“You are! You’re the one who’s silly.”

“Okay, okay.” Kyo wraps his arms around Tohru’s back for the last time, before sitting her back down on the floor and standing up. When he looks down at her, holding a hand out, they are both still grinning. “Now, let’s get you to bed.”


End file.
